Categorie archieven: Linux

KDE Plasma 6.3 Released, This is What’s New

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A new version of the KDE Plasma desktop environment is out and, as you’d expect, the update is packed with new features, UI tweaks, and performance boosts.

KDE Plasma 6.3 is the fourth major update in the KDE Plasma 6.x series and it also marks the one-year anniversary of the KDE Plasma 6.0 debut – something KDE notes in its announcement:

One year on, with the teething problems a major new release inevitably brings firmly behind us, Plasma’s developers have worked on fine-tuning, squashing bugs and adding features to Plasma 6 — turning it into the best desktop environment for everyone!”KDE

How time flies!

Read on for a breezy overview of the key changes in the latest update!

KDE Plasma 6.3: What’s New?

Fractional Scaling Overhaul

KWin zoom will reveal the new pixel-perfect grid alignment

Anyone KDE Plasma on a high-resolution display and making use of fractional scaling may find themselves noticing how much sharper UI elements look in this release compared to earlier ones – pin sharp Plasma desktop, ahoy!

KDE says it ‘overhauled’ how fractional scaling works in this release, with KWin making “a stronger effort to snap things to the screen’s pixel grid, greatly reducing blurriness and visual gaps everywhere and producing sharper and crisper images.”

And anyone eager to see just how tight the pixel-perfect alignment get can make use of the Zoom effect in Kwin, which now shows overlays grid on top of the screen at (very) high zoom levels.

Sticking with displays, screen colours are said to be more accurate when Night Light is active, whether using ICC profiles or not. Plus, KWin now offers the option to choose screen colour accuracy (albeit in some cases at the cost of increased resource usage).

Customisation

Want to clone a panel? It’s now click-button easy

KDE Plasma 6.3 buffs its customisation potential by making it easier to clone panels in Edit mode (just click the ‘Clone panel’ button), and support scripting to adjust panel opacity levels and which screen in a multi-monitor setup a panel appears on.

Widget Explorer makes it easy to remove a widget, even if it’s not visible on screen/located on a display since unplugged, whilst widgets themselves are said to have a (slightly) translucent look to them.

Symbolic icons were added to the category sidebar in the Kickoff menu a few releases ago but those who aren’t a fan will be pleased to hear it’s now possible to change category icons to something else via the Menu Editor app.

Launcher category icons can be changed using Menu Editor

Finally, no release of KDE Plasma is complete without a distinctive desktop background. I dare say some of those reading this post would be able to identify KDE Plasma releases based solely by the wallpaper each shipped with.

After several releases sporting digital illustrations, KDE Plasma 6.3 sees a return of KDE’s iconic abstract-y geometric background designs – a fine return to form!

Creativity

Tweaks to graphics tablet tuning are on offer in Plasma 6.3

An array of digital art-focused features were carried in KDE Plasma 6.2 last October, and this area benefits from further refinement here in KDE Plasma 6.3 with new options to customise, fine-tune, and adjust graphics tablet behaviour.

The Drawing Tablet page in System Settings is reworked and reorganised, with tabs splitting out settings into logical groupings and new configuration options added, including:

  • Map the tablet canvas to the entire screen
  • Tablet calibration is now more accurate
  • Stylus testing feature shows detail on tilt and pressure
  • Adjust stylus pressure curve and range
  • Re-map/swap stylus’ button functions

After adjusting graphics tablet settings it may be desirable to know what was changed, so the System Settings app’s nifty ‘Highlight changed settings’ toggle now works on the Drawing Tablet page too.

In all, another solid set of updates for KDE creatives to take advantage of.

CPU Monitoring

A big complaint with most GUI system monitor tools (not just KDE’s) is how they tend to use a lot of resources whilst monitoring resources – a bit catch 22, to a degree.

Perhaps aware of that, KDE devs saw scope for improvement in KDE Plasma’s native System Monitor app, with CPU monitoring said to be more accurate than before and using ‘vastly fewer CPU resources’ whilst doing its job.

Welcome, for sure.

Discover

As the default software/app management tool in KDE Plasma, Discover sees some appreciable implements in this update, including several that help flesh out its support for Flatpak.

Discover now highlights pending permissions changes in sandboxed app updates, supports the flatpak:// URL scheme, and makes it clear when if a Flatpak app is ‘verified’ through a trusted sources, such as Flathub.

Snap also sees some buffs, including better refresh support (‘refresh’ is the Snap term for updating) by allowing individual apps to be refreshed (rather than all). It also now sets a proper percentage and download speed during install, keeping users aware.

Informational Uptick

Info Center offers more details, including battery charge cycles

Plasma 6.3 introduces a new background service able to detect and report when the kernel terminates an app due to a lack of system monitor. A notification appears to say which app was affected and offers tips on how to avoid it happening again.

On the subject of notifications, if notifications arrive when Do Not Disturb mode is active Plasma will now only show the number of missed notifications when turning it offer, rather than sending an endless stream of them!

Elsewhere, the Info Center tool fleshes out its statistics to show more detail on system GPUs and relay detail on battery charge cycles (nixing the need to resort to other ways to find that info out).

Beyond

KRunner (and searches made using it, as it does more than simply return a list of matching apps) now supports Page Up and Page Down keys and ctrl + arrow keyboard shortcuts to hop between categories, which is handy.

Other notable changes and new features in KDE Plasma 6.3 include:

  • Option to auto-disable laptop touchpad when mouse connected
  • Bluetooth “Pair Device” is now always visible
  • Plasma can generate random passwords for network hotspots
  • Digital Clock widget displays all events on days with more than five
  • Show Target menu entry when right-clicking a symlink
  • SDL Game Controller API replaced with Joystick API
  • Disks & Devices applet can now eject non-mounted optical media
  • Windows below others no longer jump to the top when dragging a file out
  • Volume OSD only shows if using keyboard shortcuts or scrolling over applet
  • New Help category in launcher, and Settings category removed
  • Spectacle screenshot/screen recording tool is now included in KDE Plasma
  • Screen-recordings can be saved as animated WebP or GIF
  • Weather widget can use Deutcher Wetterdienst for DE forecast data
  • Plasma Browser Integration support for Mozilla Firefox Flatpak
  • Kickoff now changes categories on click (switch-on-hover option available)

Naturally, there’s plenty more to Plasma 6.3 than the cherry-picked highlights above. There are countless bug fixes, accessibility improvements, smaller tweaks, requisite package, framework, library, and tooling uplifts and more.

Refer to the raw changelog should you wish to pore over a list of every fix, tweak, and commit made between KDE Plasma 6.2.5 point release and this new KDE Plasma 6.3.0 stable release.

Get KDE Plasma 6.3

KDE Plasma 6.3 is rolling out to KDE neon (stable edition) users from today, rolling-release Linux distributions should be pushing the update out in the near future.

Users of fixed-release distros (like Ubuntu) won’t receive this update automatically but it may become available by way of third-party repos/PPAs in due course.

Source code is, as always, available on the KDE website.

Be sure to drop your thoughts on this release down in the comments. I’m keen to know how you feel about the KDE Plasma 6.x series’ progress.

KDE 6

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KDE’s volgende mega-uitgave is hier!

De KDE gemeenschap presenteert met trots Plasma 6, Frameworks 6 en Gear 24.02

Uitgegeven woensdag, 28 februari 2024

Plasma 6

KDE Plasma is een moderne, rijk aan functies bureaubladomgeving voor op Linux gebaseerde besturingssystemen. Bekend om zijn slanke ontwerp, aanpasbaar interface en uitgebreide set toepassingen, het is ook open-source, verstoken van advertenties en maakt bescherming van uw privacy en persoonlijke gegevens een prioriteit.

Installeer Plasma op uw huidige laptop en geniet van alle voordelen van de nieuwste van het nieuwste computer ervaring, zelfs als uw hardware niet wordt ondersteund door Windows 11. U kunt ook kiezen voor enige erg elegante machines, voorgeïnstalleerd met Plasma zoals de Steam Deck en vele laptops en ultrabooks.

Twee Leaps (sprongen) in de toekomst

Met Plasma 6 heeft onze technologie stapel twee belangrijke opwaarderingen ondergaan: een transitie naar de laatste versie van ons framework, Qt, voor toepassingen en een migratie naar het moderne Linux grafische platform, Wayland. We hebben ons best gedaan om te verzekeren dat deze wijzigingen zo gladjes en onopgemerkt zijn voor de gebruikers als mogelijk, dus wanneer u deze opwaardering installeert, u dezelfde familiaire bureaubladomgeving zult zien die u kent en waar u van houdt. Maar deze onder-de-motorkap opwaardering profiteer van de beveiliging, efficiency en prestaties van Plasma, ondersteuning voor moderne hardware. Dus Plasma levert een over het geheel een betrouwbaarder gebruikerservaring, terwijl het pad geplaveid worden voor veel meer verbeteringen in de toekomst.

We zullen doorgaan met het leveren van ondersteuning voor de erfenis van X11 sessies voor gebruikers die de voorkeur geven daar te blijven.

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KDE Plasma 5.20 Looks Like an Awesome Update

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KDE developers are promising an ‘absolutely massive’ Plasma 5.20 release next month, so in this post we take a look what makes it such a major upgrade.

With the final stable KDE Plasma 5.20 release date is set for October 13, 2020 the KDE Plasma 5.20 beta is out for testing. It’s this development milestone that gives us our first proper look at what devs have planned for this desktop environment.

Do keep in mind that development is still underway and it’s possible that some of what’s featured here gets held back or tweaked before October.

If a notable change or improvement you know about isn’t in this list then let me know about it in the comments section below and I’ll try to add it in.

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Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS Released

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Well folks, it’s here; the first Ubuntu 20.04 LTS point release is now available for download.

Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS rolls together all the bug fixes, app updates, performance tweaks, and security patches that have been rolled out to the “Focal Fossa” since its release back in April.

The result is a brand new installer image primed for use, and able to cut down the number of post-install updates required.

This point release combines all the bug fixes, app updates, and security patches issued to 20.04 so far

But there’s another reason why the arrival of a point release is pretty big news.

Freshly spun ISO aside it is from today that users who run Ubuntu 18.04 LTS ‘Bionic Beaver’ will see a notification asking if they want to upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04.

Prior to now anyone on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS who wanted to upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS had to do so manually (either by opting in to non-LTS releases in the Software & Updates tool or by running a terminal command, which we covered in a tutorial).

That effort is no longer necessary; it’s possible to upgrade from 18.04 LTS to 20.04 LTS directly.

Ubuntu 20.04’s First Point Release

Ubuntu 20.04 running on a computer

Point releases rarely bring major new features with them but they do bring a barrel full of convenience. Merging together all of the thousands of updates, patches and tweaks released since April into a neat, new and easily deployable image is a major time saver.

You get:

  • Installer fixes
  • Upgrade fixes
  • Snap app update fixes
  • Performance tweaks
  • New fingerprint login flow
  • OEM kernel support
  • Wireguard support

Refer to the full changes summary for (a rather dizzying amount of) detail on these changes and more. Also take note of the Ubuntu security notices up to July 24.

Upgrade Ubuntu 18.04 to 20.04

Ubuntu 20.04 upgrade prompt

As mentioned, the arrival of this point release offers the opportunity to upgrade from Ubuntu 18.04 LTS to 20.04 LTS directly. Don’t Miss Ubuntu 20.04 Feature Guide for 18.04 Upgraders

If you intend to take advantage of this option then please remember to backup of any important files before you begin and make sure your network connection is stable — you don’t want to be left with a half-upgraded system!

Once back up you can look forward to the raft of major features and changes offered by the “Focal Fossa”, including:

  • Brand new look and feel
  • FIle favouriting in Nautilus
  • External drives in Ubuntu Dock
  • CSD in the Terminal app
  • New login and lock screen
  • Fractional scaling support
  • App folders in apps grid
  • Flicker free boot
  • Better performance
  • Updated apps

And that’s just a mere tickle on the surface of what’s changed.

In a rush? Get yourself up to speed on what’s new in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS by watching our release video, embedded at the start of this post (if you’re reading from an RSS reader or a scraper site you can click this link to watch it).

Why is there a delay?

Ubuntu LTS releases are the most widely used versions of Ubuntu. Tens of millions of users all around the world use them to enjoy a solid, stable, and reliable computing experience.

The three-month period between an LTS release (April) and the first point release (July) gives Ubuntu devs more time to iron-out wrinkles and fix any lately-discovered bugs.

All of this helps ensure upgrades are as smooth and are as stable as possible — a key concern for those who choose to use a LTS release in the first place.

Do I need to upgrade if I’m already running Ubuntu 20.04 LTS?

No, you do not need to “upgrade” to “get” this release because, technically, you already have it!Provided you install any updates as and when released you are up to date.

There are no major differences between the version you’re running and the version just released (though those who install using the new ISO may see a 20.0.4.1 version number shown in the System Settings > Details panel).

Is there a new kernel version?

Ubuntu point releases often include a new Hardware Enablement stack (HWE).

The HWE combines an updated graphics stack (handy if you’re a gamer) with a more recent Linux kernel version. This allows the OS stay to compatible with newer hardware and technologies for the duration of its five-year lifecycle.

However, the first point release (i.e. this one) does not include HWE. Ubuntu 20.04.1 ships with the same Linux kernel and xserver as the initial release back in April, meaning Linux 5.4.

Ubuntu 20.04.2 is due early next year. This will bring a new hardware enablement stack with it, derived from Ubuntu 20.10 (meaning Linux 5.8 or newer).

Download Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS

You can download the Ubuntu 20.04.1 ISO images from the Ubuntu release server page using the following link:

Download Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS (64-bit ISO)

Here’s What’s New in KDE Plasma 5.18 LTS

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KDE Plasma 5.18 LTS is due for release next month and will bring a raft of new features and general improvements with it.

Plasma 5.18 features a raft of new features and improvements that make the desktop ‘easier and more fun’

With a beta build now available for testing I figured it was time to recap the key changes included in KDE Plasma 5.18 LTS so that those of you who ride the plasma wave have some idea of what to expect when it arrives.

And do expect a varied set of changes when it does, as there’s lots planned, including notifications that are easier to understand, streamlined organisation of system settings, better integration of GTK applications, and plenty more.

Let’s take a closer look.

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Mozilla Thunderbird 68.0

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De Mozilla Foundation heeft versie 68.0 van Thunderbird uitgebracht. Mozilla Thunderbird is een opensourceclient voor e-mail en nieuwsgroepen, met features als ondersteuning voor verschillende mail- en newsaccounts, een spamfilter, spellingscontrole en een aanpasbaar uiterlijk. In Thunderbird wordt zelden nog nieuwe functionaliteit toegevoegd.

In versie 68 zien we voor het eerste een 64-bitversie voor Windows. Deze is overigens niet over de 43-bitversie te installeren, het programma zal opnieuw geconfigureerd moeten worden. In een volgende update zal een migratie echter wel mogelijk zijn. Verder kan het via policies binnen bedrijfsomgevingen worden beheerd, kunnen filters nu periodiek worden gestart en kunnen meerdere mappen tegelijkertijd als ‘gelezen’ worden gemarkeerd. Het complete changelog voor deze uitgave ziet er als volgt uit:

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Linux Kernel 4.20 Released By Linus Torvalds Just In Time For Christmas

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New features in Linux Kernel 4.20

Here are the major new features added by the 350,000 new lines of code in the Linux kernel 4.20. As you can see the changes are mainly around improving support for Graphics, CPUs and other hardware.

linux-kernel-4-9

The release also removes the controversial Speck algorithm.

  • AMD Picasso & Raven 2 APU support.
  • The AMD Vega 20 7nm workstation GPU support is ready for the graphics card release.
  • VCN JPEG acceleration for Raven Ridge APUs in conjunction with Mesa 18.3 user-space code.
  • GPUVM performance improvements for the AMDGPU kernel driver.
  • Continued work on the Intel Icelake “Gen 11” graphics support.
  • Full PPGTT support for Haswell/Ivy/Valley View hardware.
  • Initial HDMI 2.0 support for the open source NVIDIA Nouveau driver and initial display support for NVIDIA Xavier “Tegra194” SoC.
  • Virtual KMS (VKMS) has the initial cursor and GEM support.
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC support.
  • Linux x86/x86_64 optimizations.
  • Early work on AMD Zen 2 CPU enablement
  • Many other DRM changes.
  • Removes NSA’s Speck crypto algorithm from the Kernel.
  • Continued fixings for the Year 2038 problem
  • USB drivers updates

You can see the detailed list of Linux Kernel 4.20 features at Phoronix.